lwm803

I have a print out of your design on my workbench. When I have a little time to spend on leather related projects this will probably be my next DIY. But right now I am helping the community theater build the stage set for their next play and I still have to get that 5 gallons of Fireside Ale bottled before I can stir up anymore sawdust in my shop. With Christmas coming I may need to brew one more batch of beer as gifts for my brother in laws too. LOL

I agree with 25b on this one....nevermind. There's no point in arguing much about things that matter little.

If you like the square edges on that belt go with them! Some of us find the "exceptional product" look just as off putting as others might find the old work harness look for everyday use.

I have had good luck with warm vinegar in a glass dish on a hot plate. For more serious rust I have resorted to electrolytic rust removal in a 5 gallon bucket using an old battery charger as the power source and washing soda as electrolyte. In some cases a fine wire brush on a bench grinder is all that is really needed but a good long soak in hot vinegar followed by scrubbing with a brass brush usually does a fine job for me.

I have one of those so called "cheap and useless" Tandy round knives. I also have better than average skills at putting a good cutting edge on various tools. It is probably due to that second fact that I find my "cheap and worthless" knife to be the first thing that I reach for when I need to cut a piece of leather. I only work with leather occasionally so am far from an expert but learning to use and actually using a round knife is worth the effort in accuracy of cuts, time saved, ease of use and yes even safety as long as you keep both hands behind the blade. It is quite simply the right tool for the job but by far not the only tool that can get the job done. Use what you will, it's the finished project that's important. If you are happy with that, then the tools you are using are the right ones for you.

I usually sit at a table, put the bracer on then lay my wrist with the bracer on the table with the laces facing up. It might take a bit of practice to learn to tie them one handed but believe me it can be done.

Those look good and I am a big fan of bracers. As someone who has spent may hours wearing bracers it is an easy choice. The one with laces can be left open to help cool the wrists and the laces will not catch on everything that comes close to them like the clasps are likely to do. So, I actually like the looks of the one with clasps and they would be easier to put on, but if I was going to be wearing them much I would choose the ones with laces,, just my experience.

First the Confederate flag, whats next? The religious cross? This country is quite literally going to pot!

There is quite a difference between handmade leather goods and cars, tv's, and power tools. I do not get your comparison here. I did not suggest that you not put your makers mark front and center on everything that you make. I only suggest that I, and probably at least a few other people, would choose a plain unmarked item over one that resembles an advertisement for the shop that made it. I have seen many nice items which were severely cheapened, TO MY EYE, by a prominent makers mark. I am simply not a customer for that item.

I may be the only one, in which case my opinion does not matter, but a makers mark on the show side of any product is an immediate deal breaker for me. I do not want your mark displayed on my personal property regardless of the quality of work. The key fob idea is an excellent one, in fact come to think of it, I have a small stack of Tony Lama "coins" which come attached to the boots by a bead chain and are easily removed, but would never wear a boot with the brand name clearly displayed. But that is just me.

I start any new knife on a coarse stone until it comes around to the angle that I stroke the stone rather than trying to match the manufacturer's angle precisely. In most cases close is close enough. From that point on it is a simple matter to keep it sharp on finer grit abrasives and or a good strop as the angle comes more natural to my own grip. I have not been trained to do this, it is simply the method that I picked up over 50+ years of sharpening my own knives, tools and implements. If you have ever noticed that it is easier for you to restore the edge on your own knives than those previously sharpened by someone else you have proven my point here.

I've made that knot using nothing more than a pocket knife for over 50 years. But never knew what to call it. I always referred to it as a "saddle string knot". The special pliers sound interesting though, as i have cut many off center with the old Schrade Walden.

This is a case where operator skill is more important than the abrasive object being used. My old stockman's pocket knife is always shaving sharp and all I ever use to sharpen it is a couple of Arkansas stones followed by a quick stropping on my boot top. My three brother in laws all carry high dollar "tactical" pocket knives which they attempt to sharpen on fancy Lansky setups, etc. Their knives are never what I would consider sharp. Of course in a "tactical" situation they may have me beat, as long they did not need a sharp knife. It is a matter of how much time you put into developing the skill to use the tools that are available not the tools that are available..

I am only an occasional leather worker but I have never had the thread catch on the cam lock nut that I used on the stitching pony which I built. It seemed less likely to cause such problems than the wing nut option.

As far as round knives go the Tandy "junk" works fine for me. I keep it sharp and honed, and it cuts effortlessly. But I understand sharpening knives and leather working is not an everyday event for me. It is easier to justify the smaller investment in suitable equipment that sees limited use, especially when a bit of work (sharpening/stropping) results is better than satisfactory results. Sure better steels hold an edge through more cutting, just as a Ferrari will cut through the wind more easily than my Silverado (either one can get me to my destination).

I have actually seen hundreds of "trinkets" on adjustable neck cords where the knots were nothing more than a simple overhand knot tied in both ends around the other. They seemed secure enough in the cord that was used but probably would not hold well at all in synthetic cord or leather. I have no personal experience with the setup though.

My experience has been a bit different. Leather work has never been a large part of my life but it has always been an essential part of it. I recently set up a small bench in my woodworking shop in order to leave my leather working tools handy so they would see more use. This also renewed my interest in the craft so I now own a couple of round knives. They are both the cheaper Al Stolman stainless steel versions which I bought new from Amazon because I was curious how they would work out for me. Turns out, for me, they worked out very well. For the first couple of days I would spend a few minutes at the bench making cuts and honing/stropping the blades. I am no stranger to sharpening tools so they are extremely sharp. The learning curve did not exist, it just seemed much more natural for me to push the round knife than pulling some other blade through the leather (seems safer too). Though I would not mind upgrading to a more respected brand of round knife I honestly do not feel any pressing need to do so. Edge retention on these two knives seems adequate as I generally touch up the edge often, actually before I notice any real need to do so. With very few exceptions I use one of the two round knives for just about all my leather cutting these days.

This is my best friend Bruno, I call him Bruno the Wonder Dog, mostly because he is always wondering about something. He has mostly grown out of his mischief years now but has been positively identified as an Excavator/Chipper Shredder mix. When he was a pup he ate my favorite welding cap, the patio carpet, the trim around the patio door.........you get the idea. Like most dogs he likes to shred sticks into pulp but his favorite sticks are freshly cut Crape Myrtle, preferably 12 to 14 feet long, he actually cuts these down himself. Leather (or wood) scraps on the floor of the shop are as good as gone when he comes to visit me out there.

I have no idea if the one ton arbor press that I have would be up to the job but if I were inclined to try it I would simply cut the punch down to a length that would fit in the press. If I cannot modify the press to fit the tool, I just modify the tool to fit the press.

I use my 12" disc sander, it makes quick work of that job.

Good point, I agree that the hole is not necessary for that type of stamping. I have a 3/8" thick aluminum base attached to mine and often use a 3/4 in think aluminum bar on top of that, just because it is handy (or otherwise in the way). I do not attach the 3D stamps that I use to the ram but the hole in the end has never presented a problem. Without the hole in ram I would have to shorten the handle of any setting tools that I use with the press. But I do have a similar arbor press in my garage which I have not modified and a 20 ton hydraulic press as well if I need a press with a solid ram. The modified press is in my woodworking shop which is where what little leather work I do gets done. I have considered modifying the 20 ton as others have done but so far I still need it to function as designed for pressing mechanical parts together/apart and straightening bent stuff/bending straight stuff.

I just bored a hole in mine (3/8 inch if I remember correctly) then cross drilled for a 1/4-20 set screw. Any diameter shaft that is not too large to fit can be clamped vertical, straight and solid to the side of the hole by the set screw. If bottom dies are used they are simply placed on the bottom plate and lined up with the ram manually so there is no need for bushings or adapters. I use mine mostly for setting snaps/grommets and stamping with 3d stamps. The handle for my hole punch is a little too snug a fit so I have considered taking the hole out to 1/2 inch but for now I just use my drill press to (not running) for punching holes. I drilled the hole myself on an old and worn Harbor Freight drill press. Even with careful setup and attention to detail the first attempt came out less than perfect but thankfully there are two ends to the ram and my second attempt worked out just fine. The extra hole has caused no harm.

Those collars would hang up on brush, briars and barbed wire like crazy. Only someone who really hates dogs would ever consider using one of those blasted things. I suppose they would be safe enough if the dog were on a leash, but that is about it. I think he should be strung up for trying to sell a device that could be extremely hazardous to dogs, even when used as he intended. Worse design idea I have ever seen for a dog collar. Nothing in his pictures very closely resembles his drawings, I'm not so sure that his actual product would even qualify as "infringing" on his patent.....

The second example in the original post is actually Katakana rather than Kanji. There are actually less than 50 Katakana characters, each represents a 1 or 2 letter syllable so is really not that difficult to learn. The Japanese word for dragon is actually Ryuu or Tatsu (as shown above beside the Kanji character. The Katakana is the word "dragon" spelled out phonetically; do-ra-go-n. I got the impression, during my 5 year stay in Japan courtesy of the USAF, that Katakana was generally used to sound out words that are not native to the Japanese language. The bonus being that once you learn to read Katakana, chances are you will know the meaning of the word as chances are good it is English (but can be any language). I have to constantly remind myself when I make statements about Japan that my impression is frozen in the late 60's to mid 70's. Thus many of my impressions are outdated these days.

Good equipment is never a bad thing. However extremely sharp edges have existed far longer than manufactured sharpening stones, diamond hones and sanding belts. As an example I have found that the anti-static mat on my workbench in the garage is very effective as an abrasive strop preceding a final stropping on my boot top. Once you get the hang of it, you can sharpen an edge on just about anything abrasive. Quality of the stone has much less to do with it than the skill of the user. Don't get me wrong, quality sharpening equipment makes it quicker and easier to achieve the desired result for anyone, but they will not make up for bad technique. I generally use natural Arkansas stones, jeweler's rouge, and a leather strop for most of my sharpening. Sometimes wet or dry sanding sheets on my surface plate is useful, especially when a larger than normal stone would be better. The same sanding sheets on an old mouse pad will help you get that much touted and little understood convex edge, but only if done skillfully. I never use power tools on any of my knives unless my intention is to modify the geometry/shape of the blade. This is just my opinion, based on my own experience.